Scientists at Northwestern University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin at Madison propose the creation of a Great Lakes Regional Center for AIDS Research whose mission and objective as a "center without walls" is to facilitate research on HIV-1 infection with the translational goal of an effective vaccine and optimal treatment. The RATIONALE for the regional center is that it builds on the unique strengths at each institution to analyze the complex immunological and virological events at HIV-1 infection, the history of inter-institutional collaborations, and the computer-assisted communication that make such a consortium practicable. The JUSTIFICATION for the center is that is will disproportionately multiply the scientific opportunities and collaboration. The center will have an ADMINISTRATIVE CORE responsible for management; a DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH CORE that under the aegis of SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARDS will identify and fund promising areas of research; a CLINICAL AND NON-HUMAN PRIMATE MODEL CORE that through sampling of blood and tissues will support research on pathogenesis and treatment; a BIOSTATISTICS CORE for study design, data acquisition and analysis; and three BASIC SCIENCE RESEARCH CORES for DNA sequencing, vector construction, single-cell technologies and quantitative molecular and image analysis that feature novel approaches to studying viral and host genes that will greatly benefit the research of center participants.